Big Ten has Preliminary Talks with Texas about Joining the Big Ten

[MadBadger]

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/feb/11/big-ten-making-overtures-texas/?sports

A source with ties to the Big Ten said that while most people’s attention has been trained on the conference stealing Missouri, the Big Ten has engaged in “preliminary exchanges” with a much bigger fish from the Big 12.

“There have been preliminary exchanges between the Big Ten and Texas,” the source told the Journal-World on Wednesday. “People will deny that, but it’s accurate.”

[El Supremo]

1. Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!

It's all about the fuckin' money.

also here:

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/02/report-big-ten-conference-in-prelimary-t.html

[MadBadger]

2. I dont really understand why Texas would go, but it be great for the Big Ten

[madinmaryland]

3. That doesn't make any sense.

There is no rivalry with any Big 10 team there.

:wtf:

[MadBadger]

6. That actually isnt true at all.

There may be no "natural" rivalry, but Texas is still Texas. Every school in the big ten thinks they have a rivarly with Ohio State and Michigan. It would be the same exact thinking with Texas.

[fishwax]

9. it doesn't follow that Texas would have a rivalry back

First off, it makes sense for every school in the Big 10 to (think they) have a rivalry with Michigan and Ohio State, given the geographic proximity and cultural connections of those states, to say nothing of decades of history playing each other on the field in all sports and at all levels. Wisconsin (say) might get excited about playing Texas because of Texas's reputation--particularly if it's a rare event--but the rivalry that Wisconsin has with, say, Minnesota or Illinois is a different animal.

And from the perspective of Texas and their fans, you're trading annual games with Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Baylor for annual games with Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Northwestern. Those schools are fine, but they're not going to generate the enthusiasm and energy from the people of Texas on a year-to-year basis, because they're all over a thousand miles away, their fan bases don't mingle on a day-to-day basis, and so on.

[MadBadger]

10. I agree with what you are saying

And that is one of the reasons I would think Texas would stay put. But I at least was responding to the claim from the Big Ten's perspective. I though madinmaryland was trying to say that no big ten team has a rivalry with Texas, so why not pursue somebody else.

[RT Atlanta]

4. They're all worthless and weak compared to the SEC

With or without Texas, every other league is still playing for runner up to the SEC.

[MadBadger]

5. Not in the Money game we arent.

[Liberal_Dog]

7. That Just Plain Makes No Sense

I could maybe see Nebraska, but Texas???

[MadBadger]

8. What could Nebraska possibly have to offer the Big Ten?

[fishwax]

11. I'm skeptical about the reports, and extremely skeptical about the possibility of it happening

Texas would be a good fit with the Big 10 academically, and the profile of their athletic department is a good fit for the Big 10 as well, given their depth. Geographically, though, it doesn't make sense, as the closest Big 10 school is more than 1000 miles away. Financially, both parties could probably benefit (though Texas would have to pay several million dollars to leave the Big 12 and probably wouldn't get a larger share of TV revenue from the Big 10 that as they do in the Big 12), but then Texas's travel costs would increase considerably. Also, the Texas legislature would have to approve Texas's move, and since such a realignment would probably ultimately negatively effect Baylor, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M, I'm not sure that would happen.

[MadBadger]

13. I think their TV revenue would go up.

The Big Ten has a better TV deal than the Big 12 does, and it also has the Big Ten Network. BTN could expand even more into Texas and make more money for the schools than it does now.

That said of course, I still dont see it happening.

[fishwax]

15. oh yeah, definitely

Their overall TV revenue would go up -- though not as much as it might initially seem, since Texas gets a bigger share of the Big 12 TV contract than other schools, but (presumably) would get only an equal share of the Big 10 revenues. But the Big 10 contracts are much more lucrative than the Big 12 contracts, for sure.

[never cry wolf]

23. Their TV revenue would almost double

Texas now gets $12 mil from the Big 12 weighted. The Big 10 splits equally to all teams and each one got $23 mil last year.

[LisaM]

12. NOOOOOOOOO

It's already bad enough, the teams don't play every conference opponent and established rivalries are being thrown under the bus.

This is a terrible idea. Why do people want these larger leagues? They're stupid. They wreck tradition. And Texas is nowhere near any school in the Big Ten.

[LiberalFighter]

14. IMO Texas sucks. Big Ten should snub their nose at them.

[El Supremo]

17. The big 10(11) sucks.

OU or Texas are better most years. Nebraska used to be too.

[Condem]

19. Worried, El?

You should be. The only thing Texas would dominate in would be Baseball. 'Most years' and 'used to be' about sum up the Big 12.

[El Supremo]

21. LMAO!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Condem]

22. Yup. You are.

It won't happen, El. Rest easy. We don't want the Longhorns. They certainly don't bring anything academically.

[Condem]

16. I have my suspicions..

I think it's to force ND to shit or get off the pot. I still think ND will come to their senses. According to Mike Brey, they almost did in 2003. Davies said the same thing.

[hughee99]

18. When ND's TV deal runs out

and they realize that no one wants to pay them to air their weekly turds, they'll join the big 10(11). They're trying to get deals to play in new stadiums (They're working on a BC game at the Pats Gillette and possibly a Rutgers game at the new Yankee Stadium) but in the end, no one wants to tune in to see a shitty team at a nice field, so they won't get the NBC deal they have now. In fact, NBC is probably kicking themselves because they HAVE to air ND games when there are so many other games they could be putting on.

[Condem]

20. Here's my thinking, hughee.

Notre Dame realizes that joining the Big Ten is a good deal. #1. The $$ the Big Ten makes in TV revenue blows every conference away. With ND joining, the stakes get raised considerably. So they lose nothing in TV money. #2. The BCS forces their hand. "You guys have NOT been a factor in the BCS for how many years?". The BCS takes away the guaranteed 18 million dollars that ND had to split with no one and tells them to join a conference. Or else, we give you 6 mil. Take it or leave it. Plus, the BCS honcho's are scared to death of what happens to the Big 12 if Texas
leaves. Who do you replace them with. Fucking 'here today, gone tomorrow' TCU??